News

Mar 6, 2012

Make tax prep simpler with BC Hydro online

When it's time to prepare your tax return for the Canada Revenue Agency, where would you be without computers and the Internet? They give you anytime access to information, and they help free you from the paper avalanche.

And that paper does pile up. That's why BC Hydro's online tools offer you the convenience of accessing your bills electronically, with an option to print bills for the past 12 months.

Here are a few ideas on how BC Hydro online can help you, plus a few more resources that can help make tax filing more easy and convenient.

BC Hydro's online tools

Like many utilities and service providers, BC Hydro makes it easy for customers to get their account information online.

You can manage your BC Hydro account by linking it to your BC Hydro Profile. From there, you'll be able to access your payment and consumption history and set up pre-authorized and equal payment plans.

You can even download your billing data in spreadsheet form and print out bills for the last 12 months.

The CRA recommends Canadians keep their tax records on hand in the event they are required for verification or an audit.

That's easy to do from your BC Hydro Profile. Just create PDF versions of your bills and store them on your computer for future reference.

But take note, you need to be registered to get access to bills online. So if you want to make next year's tax season simpler, register for a BC Hydro Profile now, and choose to get your bill online only.

Accountants like it, too

David Marsh is a partner with the Vancouver accounting firm Marsh, Marsh & Company. He says that being able to access information online speeds up the process of getting your taxes ready.

"It means you aren't waiting around for information to be available," he explains over the phone. "You can go online and access the information right away."

And while you need to be able to provide the Canada Revenue Agency with hard copies of receipts on request, you don't have to print them until you need them.

"I don't want to walk into a room full of boxes to try and find a piece of information," says David, "when I can find that information on my computer."

Being able to access your BC Hydro account online means that you can access information more quickly and store it more efficiently, in a manner that makes it more easy to retrieve.

And the better organized you are, the easier it is to fill out your tax return.